Kamala Harris v Mike Pence: What the two women who’ve run for VP before said about their own debates

Two women broke the major parties’ vice presidential glass ceilings – and both were obliged to debate more experienced male opponents

Kamala Harris’s vice presidential run is historic for many reasons, not least that she is the first black woman on a major party ticket. However, she is the fourth woman, and the third vice presidential nominee.

Twelve years before Ms Harris, there was Sarah Palin – the first Republican vice presidential nominee, who debated Joe Biden in an encounter that helped salvage at least some of her reputation.

And 24 years before Ms Palin came the true first: Geraldine Ferraro, the three-term Democratic congresswoman from New York who ran with Walter Mondale in what turned out to be the worst electoral college defeat in American history.

As Ms Harris prepares to debate Mike Pence, her two predecessors’ encounters with their own rivals are worth a look.

Both women faced veteran male politicians, and arrived under heavy pressure to justify their relative lack of experience. Ms Palin in particular headed into her debate the subject of national ridicule, coming off a disastrous interview with CBS’s Katie Couric in which she displayed only piecemeal knowledge of fundamental issues.

Yet both women’s performances were well-received at the time, including by their critics. “She killed,” said veteran Republican commentator Peggy Noonan of Ms Palin in 2008. “It was her evening, she was the star. She had him at ‘nice to meet you, hey, can I call you Joe?’”

Ms Palin’s famous opening greeting to Mr Biden was in fact a trick to avoid the senator’s surname, which she habitually rendered as “O’Biden” in debate prep.

Since then, Ms Palin’s reflections on the campaign have mainly been grievances directed at Barack Obama. However, in 2016, she did point out that hers was the only vice presidential debate since 1988 that demanded the candidates stand up throughout – putting her at a painful disadvantage thanks to her footwear.

Ms Ferraro, meanwhile, went into her debate in the midst of a losing campaign against one of the most popular incumbents in living memory, Ronald Reagan. Facing up to highly experienced vice president George H. W. Bush, she managed a calm and collected performance that dispelled any sense she was naïve.

The debate is mostly remembered now for a moment where she pushed back hard on Mr Bush’s condescension during a discussion about Iran and Lebanon. “I almost resent, vice president Bush, your patronising attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy,” she said to rapturous applause.

“I have been a member of Congress for six years ... Secondly, please don't categorise my answers either. Leave the interpretation of my answers to the American people who are watching this debate.”

Like Ms Palin, Ms Ferraro was partly blamed for the scale of her running mate’s defeat, in her case largely because of reports that members of her family were involved in crime. However, Mr Mondale has often said he does not regret choosing her.

In a 2008 interview with Mr Bush for NBC’s Today show, Ms Ferraro made clear that part of her was rooting for Ms Palin.

“I want her to do well,” she said. “I think when a woman stands up there, it’s important for little girls to see someone there who can stand toe to toe with the guy who’s been in the Senate for 38 years and running for vice president.”

And for her part, Ms Palin has offered Ms Harris advice of her own, including “out of the chute trust no-one new”, “don’t forget the women who came before you” and “have fun”.

Sharing a picture of herself with her predecessor on Instagram, she wrote: “Climb upon Geraldine Ferraro’s and my shoulders, and from the most amazing view in your life consider lessons we learned.”